The New Diary
by Veypla
Summary: COMPLETE Someone just received a new diary, and is writing the very first entry. Will it help the owner get over the death of a loved one? And what happened since the events of Harry Potter's sixth year?
1. The New Diary

**Disclaimer :** Anything related to Harry Potter is not mine. Really.

You must have read the sixth Harry Potter book to fully understand what's happening in this story. I have had this story in my head for a long time, and decided to write it down. I don't know if this is any good, seeing as it's my first time writing outside school, but in my head it was great. I want a Pensieve!

Chapter 1 : The New Diary

_Dear diary,_

_I promised myself years ago that never again I would write in a diary. Too dangerous._

_Stop laughing at me; it's true. When you go through what I went through, come again._

_Back to the main topic : why am I writing in this thing. Well, the reason is simple. My friend Hermione tells me it will help me access the deepest parts of my subconscious and release the pain and grief that is clogging the flow of my emotions._

_Yeah. Right. Bloody psychology book._

_But I love her, so I'm doing it._

_You see, I have not moved from my room since… well, since _that_ day. I don't want to talk about it, really. But seeing as it is what is supposed to make me feel better..._

_It all started about a year ago, when professor Dumbledore died. It was awful, I couldn't believe it. He was untouchable. The most powerful wizard of his time. Nearly two hundred years old, and many more to come as headmaster of Hogwarts, the greatest wizarding school of the country, if not the world._

_If only. If only._

_Many would have been saved if he had been able to finish the job he had started. But he died. And let the job to a sixteen years old boy._

_And that is what caused the death of the love of my life._

_Oh Merlin. I actually wrote that._

_Maybe this really works. The diary I mean._

_What did Dumbledore think when he said to this sixteen years old boy not to tell anything about the Horcruxes to anyone, except his friends? A boy for Merlin's sake! Couldn't his Order of the Phoenix help too?_

_But no. The bloody Boy-Who-Lived can do all the dirty work of the wizarding world alone. Easier to put the weigh of the world on his shoulders than keep a bit for yourself. Bastards, all of them. I don't know why I'm still here, at Hogwarts. Like I want to go work for this world I'm in when I'm finished…_

_They're lucky he was able to find a way to destroy Voldemort even if he failed to finish the impossible task Dumbledore left to him. But the price he paid…_

_I lost the love of my life._

_It was supposed to only be until the Dark Lord was destroyed. But now it's permanent…_

_I regret that day at Dumbledore's funeral, when we broke-up because of some stupid, noble reasons. Forever and always the Gryffindor…_

_But we were still in contact, through Ron. Let me tell you what happened then._

_Slytherin's locket was not that hard to find. It still took most of the summer understanding that R.A.B. was in fact Sirius' brother, Regulus. After a thorough search of number 12, Grimmauld Place, the locket was finally found in a pile of rubbish that Kreacher had stolen two years before to save it from Molly's great clearing of the house._

_Great care was taken for the destruction of the third Horcrux, seeing as Dumbledore nearly lost his hand while destroying the second. But all went ratter well._

_If a week in the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts can be called "ratter well"._

_After more prodding by McGonagall, it was back to the task. At this point three Horcruxes were left: Hufflepuff's cup, Nagini the snake, and something from Gryffindor or Ravenclaw. Nagini was to be last, because of her closeness to Voldemort. So it was decided to go with the one with the most information: the cup._

_What a disaster. I felt completely useless. After weeks of trying to follow hints and tips regarding the location of the cup, all tracks led to a dead-end. It seemed as if the cup had disappeared from the face of the Earth. Finally our merry group stopped traveling all around Europe and settled to try and find more information on the last Horcrux._

_For most of them, anyway._

_Because, for one third of the group, the task would never be completed in time. In time for what you say? Easy: the battle everyone was waiting for. Voldemort against Hogwarts. The battle that would decide the faith of the wizarding world. And this one third of a group sensed it coming._

_Closer and closer._

_And it would not wait for all the Horcruxes to be destroyed, even if he didn't know about it._

_But we all know now that there was another way. And what a way._

_So simple, yet…_

_Normally by killing someone, his soul is released forever. But Voldemort's soul was anchored by the Horcruxes. Once released, he could come back anytime, and this is why the Horcruxes needed to be destroyed._

_Now imagine if it was impossible for you to destroy the Horcruxes? It ends right there, no? It's finished, you lost?_

_You don't know the Boy-Who-Lived then._

_There was another way. And he found it._


	2. The Battlefield

**Disclaimer :** Anything related to Harry Potter is not mine. Really.

You must have read the sixth Harry Potter book to fully understand what's happening in this story. I have had this story in my head for a long time, and decided to write it down. I don't know if this is any good, seeing as it's my first time writing outside school, but in my head it was great. I want a Pensieve!

Chapter 2 : The Battlefield

The battle was intense. Curses and hexes flying everywhere, hitting friends and foes alike. Blood, limbs and gastric residues marring the grass.

Students from fifth to seventh years were battling for their life and their school on the grounds were normally they would be having fun, playing Quidditch, bathing in the sun on this sunny afternoon of May.

Professors and Aurors trying to block any exit, while at the same time dropping creatures of all sorts to the ground by the dozen. But the sheer number that Voldemort had brought with him meant that many human bodies could be found amongst the creatures.

Members of the Order of the Phoenix were locked in duels with Voldemort's own Death Eaters. The duels were fierce, and long, and there was far more injured than dead lying on the ground.

And if someone took the chance to look at a fallen comrade or foe long enough, they would see their body, alive or not, disappear suddenly. Because it was the work of Ron Weasley, Cho Chang, Blaise Zabini and Susan Bones, armed with invisibility cloaks, to bring the injured to the Hospital Wing, where Madam Pomfrey, Hermione Granger and Ginny Weasley, aided by a flock of Healers from St. Mungos and the new Potions professor, Xavius Highcrest, tried their best to save them, or at least ease the pain a little.

And in the middle of all this chaos stood Harry Potter and the man who had once been Tom Riddle, before his soul was tainted by too many evils and he became Lord Voldemort.

They seemed to be in their own little world, the grass around them surprisingly green, the air devoid of any curse or hex. They didn't move, they didn't talk. Each had done that before, and none could say it had done any good to any of them. They were beyond words now. They still communicated, but on the most deepest level : soul to soul.

It was past movement, past words, even past Legillimency. It was two beings trying to understand each other, their motive, the reason behind their actions.

And neither liked what they saw in the other. And each knew that neither could live, while the other survived.

It was not because of a stupid prophecy. Not because an old wizard told him so, not because a kid survived.

No. It was because one would do anything to achieve his goal, whatever the cost, and the other couldn't let him supersede the right of everyone to live.

Wand down, tall and proud, the two most powerful wizards of their time stood face to face, three feet apart, motionless. Voldemort's snake-like facial features rigidly set in a grimace that could make anyone, no matter how courageous, shudder with fright. Harry's young face hardened by hardships beyond anything anyone his age should have endured, piercing green eyes glinting in a way reminiscent of his former mentor.

While the battle was still raging around them, not a sound could be heard in their bubble of reality, except footsteps once in a while when Ron came close to see if anything had changed.

Signing under his invisibility cloak, wanting nothing more than helping his best friend even though he knew he couldn't, he turned around and, once more, picked a body on the ground, and activated his special Portkey.

Once in the madhouse that was now the Infirmary, he put the body on one of the many stretchers that were along the magically-stretched walls.

Sensing a hand on his shoulders, he turned around to meet the eyes of his girlfriend who, like his own, had seen too much death that day.

'It's Shacklebolt.' was all he said, giving Hermione some space to work.

She only shook her head slowly after having cast a diagnostic spell, but Ron knew what it meant, and quickly banished the body to another room in Hogwarts.

Then he turned around and took his girlfriend in his arms, flinching when she tensed at his touch. There was too much adrenaline, too much pain around them, and it took a minute for her to relax enough to be able to return the hug.

'I love you, Hermione' She looked up, and managed a small smile, before placing a quick kiss on his lips.

'How is he?' asked a soft voice behind them.

Reluctantly releasing Hermione from his embrace, he sighed.

'Nothing's changed, Gin. Still standing tall. I don't know how he does it, just watching the bastard in front of him makes me want to scream and run like a girl' he said, shuddering at the thought alone.

Normally Hermione and Ginny would have been scandalized, but seeing has he answered that way each time Ginny asked him how Harry was, which was quite often, they simply nodded and went back to work.

Feeling the adrenaline dropping in his inaction, Ron stretched and stifled a yawn.

'I'm knackered.' He said, receiving a concerned look from Hermione.

'You should sit down for a bit' she said, knowing he, like her, would never be able to take a nap in a bed until it was over. 'You've been out there for almost two hours now.'

Taking her in his arm again, he gave her a tired smile. 'One more trip then I'll ask Dean to replace me. I promise.'

With a last kiss, he was out on Hogwart's grounds, his muscles tensing in the now familiar battle-readiness. It didn't take long to find an injured lying on the ground, and he was about to pick him up when his eyes ventured to the eye of the storm. He suddenly froze, and his eyes bulged out.

Feet away, Voldemort suddenly collapsed in a heap on the ground. Not a shout, not a scream, not even a spell was used. Looking at Harry, Ron could see him blink.

One. Two. Three times.

Harry's gaze finally descended onto the ground in front of him, where now lay the body of Lord Voldemort.

Which suddenly burst into flames, so hot and so intense that Ron could feel the heat from where he was. In second, it was finished, and only ashes remained of the body of the Dark Lord.

Ron could see Harry stumbling, and before he could hit the ground, Ron was at his side, curses flying around them for the first time in hours. Triggering the Portkey, the two young men disappeared, everyone around them oblivious to the fact that something, finally, had happened.


	3. The Last Battle

**Disclaimer :** Anything related to Harry Potter is not mine. Really.

You must have read the sixth Harry Potter book to fully understand what's happening in this story. I have had this story in my head for a long time, and decided to write it down. I don't know if this is any good, seeing as it's my first time writing outside school, but in my head it was great. I want a Pensieve!

Chapter 3 : The Last Battle

Back in the Infirmary, it took all of three seconds for chaos to break. Healers all around stopped their work to stare at the limp body of the Savior, now in a stretcher. Hermione and Ginny, teary-eyed, were at his side in an instant. Moments later Madam Pomfrey took charge and everyone went back to their task, except herself, the new Potion professor and the Head Healer from St. Mungos.

Making his girlfriend and his sister stand back a little, he watched as numerous spells and potions were used to try and get Harry to wake up. It took five long minutes before the young man began to stir, and, even if he had wanted to, Ron couldn't stop the two girls from bounding to Harry's side.

It took a moment more for the boy to completely wake up, but the moment he did he couldn't help but smile at the concerned faces around him.

'Hullo everyone.' he said, barely above a whisper.

Ginny flung herself at a startled Harry, who managed to pry the girl off him before being crushed to his death.

'Is he… Is he…' Hermione kept repeating, as Ron watched his best friend with a grin, knowing that it was finished, and everything would be alright.

The grin fell when he heard the single word. 'No.'

'But. But. But I saw him burn.' Ron said quickly, while everyone around stared in shock.

'His body is no more. But as we all knew, his soul is still around.'

'Then he'll be back. Again.' whispered Madam Pomfrey, looking defeated.

'No he won't, because I'll destroy him before he can.'

'And how will you do that, Mister Potter, when his soul is out there hiding?' asked the Head Healer.

Harry help his gaze, and finally answered. 'Because I know where he is, and how to end his existence, once and for all.'

'And where is he, Harry?' asked Hermione, thinking she knew the answer, but still hoping it wasn't so.

Harry looked gravely at those around him, before answering simply 'Inside me.'

'What!' shot Ron, Ginny, Poppy and the Head Healer in one voice, while Hermione burst into tears. And quickly after that, Poppy added: 'How can it be?'

'Let's just say that he tried it once, at the Ministry in my fifth year, and I managed to push him away.' Harry started. 'But this time, I decided to keep him.'

'And. And. And.' Hermione tried, tears still streaming down her cheeks, hoping with all her hearth that her suspicions weren't founded.

But she knew in her hearth, having done the same research as Harry in the past months, that her suspicions were true, and that there was only one way. That is why she couldn't finish her question.

'And how are you going to destroy him then?' It was a quite pale Ron who asked.

Harry closed his eyes for a while, long enough for the people around to start to worry, but he finally answered, eyes still closed. 'I'll use my own soul to destroy his. But for that, I'll need to be free. Free of… any ties.'

'No.'

It was whispered so low that Ginny had time to repeat it three more times before it was finally heard.

'Ginny…'

'No.'

'Ginny, listen to me. I have no choice.'

'No.'

'Please Ginny, I need you to understand. This is the only way.' Harry pleaded, looking at a distressed Ginny.

'No. You can't. You just can't. Please don't leave me. Please.'

Ron took his sister in his arms, engulfing her crying face in his robes, himself bordering tears as he understood the consequences.

'You know I love you. Ron. Hermione. Ginny.' He looked at each of them in turn, seeing the love in their eyes too, and knowing that he couldn't wait any longer lest he lose his control to the second soul now trapped inside him, out of reach for the moment, but cruelly battling to get out. Little did he know that Harry would soon give him exactly what he wanted.

'I don't have enough time to tell you everything that I'd want to tell you, but please know that I love you, and that I will be waiting for you. But not too soon.' he finished with a smile.

Then, turning to the Potion Master, he shocked everyone, once again.

'Severus. You know what to do.'

Everyone around watched in horror as the Potions Master, Xavius Highcrest, revealed himself to be no other than Severus Snape, and raised his wand at Harry's chest.

'Goodbye, Harry. Tell your godfather I'm sorry for everything.'

Hearing the voice of her old Potions Master, Ginny turned around and looked in shock as a bright green light traveled from Snape's wand to Harry's chest, before the piercing green eyes abruptly lost their twinkle.

Silence descended on the Infirmary. If anyone looked at the old professor, they would have seen him snap his wand in two then go sit on a chair in a corner, where he put his head in his hands, shoulders slowly shaking. But everyone's gaze was now on the now dead body of the Boy-Who-Lived, the Savior.

Suddenly a dense mist seemed to seep from Harry's body, forming the approximate shape of a body with snake-like features, quickly followed by a second mist, this one forming with an unruly mop of hair, who seemed to grab the first form and turn it around.

Lord Voldemort and Harry Potter were, once again, face to face. Or soul to soul.

Have Hermione listened to what her mind was telling her right now, she would have remembered that it looked exactly like the result of Priori Incantatem, as Harry had described to her at the end of their fourth year.

'You have failed, Potter. You are dead, and I am free!' said the soul, or what was left of it, of Lord Voldemort.

'You are right, Tom.' Harry smirked, seeing that even in death Voldemort still reacted badly to being called by his birth name. 'I am dead, and have no way to remain here, while you still have two Horcruxes binding you here.'

Voldemort glared at his rival. 'I must say I'm impressed. I didn't know anyone would be able to find, and destroy, that many Horcruxes. But I'm tired of you always meddling with my plans, so I'll be going now, and let you alone in death.'

Harry sneered at him, in a manner reminiscent of a certain blond.

'Not too fast Tom my boy. I'm not finished with you yet. Do you think I would let myself be killed only for the pleasure of it?' Harry asked, grinning at Voldemort's furious expression.

'Now listen here you brat,' he started, but was cut mid-sentence by Harry.

'You see Riddle-y-dum, I have had so much fun with you those last years, that I decided to bring you with me in the after-life, whatever it may be.'

Infuriated by Harry's taunting, Voldemort's mist took a red tint. 'You insolent… You know quite well that the remaining Horcruxes bind me to the Earth and seeing as you failed to destroy them all, I don't see why I should listen to your little speech anymore.'

'Oh but I think you forgot a little thing when you studied Horcruxes, Tommy dear. But I can understand, seeing how difficult it is to find information on the subject.' Harry started, unable to resist a final taunt at his arch-nemesis.

'You see, while the sole way to release your soul while on Earth is to destroy the source of the binding, it is quite different if you are dead. Do you know how strong is the pull on a soul to go to the after-life? No? I can tell you, it is stronger than anything I have ever felt, because in the last minute or so I have been battling to have a little more time here, and it is only because I have people helping me up there that I have managed.'

In a fierceness that few had ever seen coming from Harry, he finished his tirade.

'And now, Tom, I will grab you and cling to you with all my might, and then I will let the after-life do the rest.'

With that, Harry's mist quickly crossed the distance to Voldemort's mist and seemed to merge with it. A cry that chilled everyone to the core could be heard, no doubt coming from Voldemort, and suddenly the mists seemed to be torn from the room and as they disappeared, a last goodbye could be heard echoing in the stunned Infirmary.


	4. The Geatest Tribute

**Disclaimer :** Anything related to Harry Potter is not mine. Really.

You must have read the sixth Harry Potter book to fully understand what's happening in this story. I have had this story in my head for a long time, and decided to write it down. I don't know if this is any good, seeing as it's my first time writing outside school, but in my head it was great. I want a Pensieve!

Chapter 4 : The Greatest Tribute

_Yes, he found a way. One only a selfless person would be able to achieve._

_Since he was a year old, he had been a pawn to the Fates, living on borrowed times, each year going trough countless dangerous situations that were placed on his way to test him, to train him._

_He knew that. Oh yes he did. Everyone told him he was battling for freedom, when he was the only one who had never tasted it before. But he didn't care. He knew that the population had placed a terrible weight on his young shoulders, and at first it bothered him. But not for too long._

_I think he accepted that no one would take this weight off his shoulders. Oh they would be with him, at the end, battling alongside him. But the treacherous road, the grief, the guilt… it would all be his, and he took it wholly, as long as the fewer persons possible were hurt. If he could have taken the pain from everyone he would have. He was like this._

_He told me once not to judge the population. Everyone has its reasons, and it is not to us to decide what they should do. We want freedom, remember?_

_But I can't help but think that they… that _we_ have failed him. Except having his picture and a big 'Thank you' on the first page of the _Daily Prophet_, for five days in a row, nothing has been done to thank him, to honor him, to make sure that everyone understands and remember what he did for us. I know he didn't want the honor and the fame, but he deserves so much._

_Yes, he deserves so much._

'Ginny?'

With a sigh, Ginny closed her new diary. The first one since her first year at Hogwarts. She put her hand on the soft baby-blue velvet of the cover, looking at the small Golden Snitch embroidered on the upper-left corner with a smile.

'Ginny?'

The girl looked up at Hermione, standing in the doorway to their dormitory with a surprised look on her face. Ginny snorted inwardly, knowing that Hermione had seen the small smile on her lips, and knowing how unusual that was for her to smile since Harry… died, three weeks ago.

Ginny knew Hermione had grieved with Ron the death of their best friend. It was not alright yet, there was still much road to cover, but at least they had started. Ginny, her, couldn't even start.

Putting the diary aside, she stood and grabbed Hermione in a small hug. She pulled away and chuckled at the surprise clearly written on Hermione's face.

'You were right, Hermione. It does make me feel a little bit better. At least I know what I'm going to do from now on. I will make sure that everyone knows what happened, how and why. I want to make sure they all understand what Harry did for them, what he went through for them. If it takes the rest of my life to make sure of that, then so be it. Harry deserves that much.'

Clearly shocked at the change Ginny went through since she last saw her at breakfast, Hermione was speechless for a moment. When she finally regained her voice, however, what she said surprised Ginny.

'I think you will find that now it shouldn't be that hard to make people understand.'

'What do you mean?' Ginny said, clearly confused.

'Just… come with me, OK? I have to show you something.'

With that, she took Ginny's hand in hers and left the dormitory, a still confused Ginny following in her wake.

Ginny was surprised to find the common room empty. Then the corridors. And the staircases. It seemed as if the whole school was empty. It wasn't supposed to be like this, seeing as it was a Wednesday afternoon, the sun already behind the Forbidden Forest, the first stars showing in the darkened sky. Students should be inside, eating a late meal, studying in the common rooms, doing what a student normally does at this hour.

She knew that Hermione was taking her to where everyone was, and her curiosity grew as she wondered what could have attracted the whole student body.

Past the Great Hall, she saw that the doors to the grounds were open, and she started to slow hers and Hermione's pace. Memories of the last battle came flooding, and she didn't know if she wanted to see the ground just yet. She knew it had been cleaned (it had taken more than a week), but even now she never looked outside.

'Don't worry, Gin. It's all right. But you really need to see this.' Hermione told her.

They were finally at the door, but she couldn't see much except the backs of what she thought must be every student, professor, house-elf and ghost living at Hogwarts.

Slowly, Hermione guided her through the crowd, which opened for them as the students noticed it was Ginny coming through.

She kept her head down, not wanting to see the look of pity she knew must be on every face they crossed.

Finally, Hermione stopped them, and Ginny, head still down, could see that they were now at the front of the crowd. She felt an arm on her shoulder and heard her brother Ron whisper to her that it was all right and that she should look up.

Not a sound could be heard from the students' side, but a strange sound could be heard coming from somewhere far in front of her, and she finally looked up.

Her throat tightened and she couldn't help the sob that came when she saw, in the distance, what would be remembered as the greatest tribute the wizarding world had ever seen, or made.

Covering at least a third of the grounds between Hogwarts and the gates to Hogsmeade, stood hundreds and hundreds of wizards, witches and squibs, young and old, and she could see that hundreds more where still coming through the gates. Most had a lit candle in their hand, some had lighted their wand, others where shouting red and gold sparkles in the air.

On her left, she could see Centaurs, Unicorn and other creatures coming out of the Forbidden Forest. On her right, Merpeople were coming out of the Lake, and if she was not mistaken the Giant Squib was doing a slow dance in the center of the Lake.

Completely overwhelmed by the display of affection in front of her, she felt the grip on her shoulders tighten, and she couldn't stop the tears from going down on her cheeks.

Hours could have passed, but it was only fifteen minutes later when, the grounds now half full of wizards and creatures alike, with many more coming, the celebration began.

As one, every wizard and witch of age raised their wand to the sky, and in one voice, shouted 'HARRY!'

Balls of white light shot from each and every wand, and met far above their head in the most beautiful fireworks display Ginny had ever seen. Again, the crowd shouted the name of their savior, and again the balls of light shot from their wands.

The raw magic coming from the crowd was palpable. Grief, sadness, happiness, relief. Every emotion was present, and mixed together to create an even bigger fireworks display each time, their voice as one each time more powerful, Hogwarts occupants now joining the rest of the wizarding world in their tribute not only to the Boy-Who-Lived, their savior, but also to the boy that had taken upon himself to rid the world of the pain caused by the Dark Lord so that everyone present could live freely thereafter.

And coming from the sky could be heard the chant of a phoenix who had left a year ago, full of sorrow and sadness. Only this time, the song was one of hope for the future, and of happiness.

Author's Note : Here goes. Hope you liked it. Give me your thoughts, and any advice to help my writing!


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